


Third Time's the Charmspeak

by jazzaiko



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Attempt at Humor, Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), Charmspeak (Percy Jackson), Demigods, Fluff, Getting Together, Hints of other pairings if you squint, Lots of namedrop, M/M, Son of Aphrodite!Sehun, Son of Zeus!Jongdae, Summer Camp, Summer Romance, camp shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28384074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jazzaiko/pseuds/jazzaiko
Summary: Sehun, a son of Aphrodite, can Charmspeak anyone to do his bidding. Except one.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Oh Sehun
Comments: 18
Kudos: 62
Collections: Calm Before The Storm FicFest Round 1





	Third Time's the Charmspeak

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt Code: CS050
> 
> This is an AU based on Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but no prior knowledge of the series is needed. I tried making it beginner-friendly. Apologies in advance because I tweaked some things from the original series a little bit to fit my story.
> 
> To the mods, thank you for hosting this fest and allowing me extensions.  
> To the prompter, thank you for this wonderful idea that intrigues me.  
> To my dear beta, thank you for pushing me and encouraged me to finish this.  
> To my dear friends who always support me, love you!  
> And to you, please enjoy this :)
> 
>   
> Note: the characters in this fic are about the same age, between 16 - 19 years old, but I'm not using any honorifics.

To be honest, Sehun used to think that Greek gods and goddesses only exist in history books… until the fateful day when his father told him that his mother is Aphrodite. Yes, Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love that has many, many _many_ lovers including his clueless and very normal yet good-looking father. Having one godly parent and one human parent makes Sehun a half-blood, or commonly known as a demigod. 

Being a demigod sounds cool, but it wasn’t fun. The home was no longer safe since the blood of the goddess flowing inside of Sehun caused him to exude a scent that attracted the monsters’ attention. So once he met a weird half human-half goat person, a _satyr,_ who told him of a safe place for demigods, sixteen years old Sehun set off to the Camp Half-Blood.

The Camp is… interesting. Wait, interesting would be an understatement. It is… magical. To mere humans, it appears as normal strawberry fields. However, it is more than just that. Aside from the strawberry fields, it has hills, a forest filled with nymphs, dryads, and other mythical forest creatures. There is a beach that is sometimes visited by naiads and other water creatures. The camp is surrounded by magical fields to keep them safe from monsters. The main area has 12 huge cabins and some smaller ones in various designs, each dedicated to a god or goddess, where the campers stay. 

The campers consist of many younger kids and teenagers like him – many are diagnosed with dyslexia (they say it's because his brain is wired for Ancient Greek and Sehun was shocked when he could, in fact, read and understand _Ancient Greek_ even though it was his first time seeing it) and ADHD (they say it's because his body as a demigod is more energetic and stronger than normal humans and built to fight). 

There are many things to do and explore, from sword training, archery, to quests. Every Friday, the campers from different cabins will team up against each other in a game of Capture The Flag, which Sehun is forced to participate in now despite only being in the camp for less than a week. 

“You go.”

“No, you.”

“Guys, what’s wrong?” Sehun whispers to his two Aphrodite siblings, Minseok and Jaemin, who are standing in front of him. They are currently in the forest. After ten minutes of scouting, they spot the flag they are supposed to capture right in front of them, in the middle of a clearing.

Minseok turns around, shooting him a dirty look. “Sehun, can’t you see who’s guarding the flag?”

Sehun squints. A rather small-sized and skinny boy with straight black hair, wearing their standard orange-colored camp t-shirt, is standing guard near the flagpole. With one look, Sehun recognizes the boy. Kim Jongdae.

Everyone in the camp knows Jongdae. With his sunny and always-smiling appearance, he can pass as a child of Apollo. But actually, he is the child of Zeus, one of the three major Greek gods, and is insanely powerful. He has the ability to summon and manipulate lightning and thunder just like his father. Naturally, other demigods will avoid facing him in combat, or even thinking about it. 

“I’m so not going to go there and get my hair fried. No thanks.” 

“I’ll go,” Sehun offers, slowly getting out from the shadows of the trees. The guys give him ‘are you freaking crazy’ kind of looks, but Sehun grins, trying to reassure them. “I have a plan.” 

With confident steps, Sehun slowly approaches his target. “Hey,” Sehun tries to say as casually as he can. Jongdae’s demeanor changes immediately, getting into a defensive stance, eyeing him with caution. 

But Sehun doesn’t let himself get intimidated. He flashes his most charming smile, that he knows will make girls and guys in and outside the camp go crazy. “Give up the flag.” He looks right at Jongdae’s electric blue eyes, trying to push the words inside the smaller boy’s mind and force him to do his bidding. 

Although Sehun is a child of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, he’s not all that powerless. He is among the few children of Aphrodite that are blessed with Charmspeak, which will make whoever hears him do whatever he asks from them. 

Or so he thought.

“What the hell?” Jongdae yells at him. Gosh, his voice is so loud. “You ask me, the guard, to give up the flag? No freaking way.” 

His reaction is totally beyond Sehun’s expectations. So far, whoever heard Sehun's Charmspeak always, always did his bidding, no matter how silly it was. He did it to people outside the camp before. He tried it on Minseok and his fellow Aphrodite cabin mates (he doesn't have the heart to prank Jongin though), and on people from other cabins too, like Baekhyun, the mischievous boy who is Minseok's friend from Hermes’ cabin. It always worked. Always.

Except for this time. 

Maybe he didn’t concentrate enough. Sehun focuses, gathering his power. “Give me the flag,” Sehun tries again, firmer this time.

But Jongdae only stares at him with deviance and frowns, which looks more like a pout. “No.” 

It’s impossible. His Charmspeak never fails. 

Sehun gives it another chance. "Pass me the flag."

"No way."

“Please~give~me~the~flag.”

Jongdae narrows his eyes. "No matter how you ask, I won't give it to you." 

It starts getting on Sehun's nerves that his Charmspeak doesn't work. At a glance, he can see his teammates in the forest signaling him to just give up and calling him back to think of another strategy. 

But Sehun is stubborn. And he will get what he wants. He tries again. “Kim Jongdae, please let me have the flag.” 

To Sehun's dismay, Jongdae still resists. "Don't think I'll give it up so easily." His gaze darkens, his voice drops one octave, sending chills down Sehun's spine. And to make it worse, sparks start coming out from Jongdae's fingers.

Uh oh. 

“DAMMIT OH SEHUN, COME BACK!”

Sehun stands there, torn, trying to process what's happening. Is his power weakening? Or are there other factors that make Jongdae resistant to his Charmspeak? 

A conch horn can be heard from the distance, followed by a rush of campers on the opposite team flooding the clearing. Sehun recognizes Chanyeol, a son of Hephaestus, jarring among the campers with his flashy flaming red hair and his tall build. Chanyeol almost knocks Sehun over in his run towards Jongdae.

“Jongdae, we won!” Chanyeol cheers, his huge body enveloping Jongdae in a crushing bear hug. "I'm so glad you agreed to join our team and be our guard."

Jongdae laughs in response, the sparks and intimidating air from earlier gone. “Of course I will, Chanyeol, you are my best friend.” 

“Best best friend,” Chanyeol agrees, ruffling Jongdae's hair. Jongdae whines in response, but lets Chanyeol put his arms around his shoulder and lead them out of the area. 

Jaemin comes over, patting Sehun on the back. “Hey, are you okay?” Sehun only grunts as a reply, still distraught at his Charmspeak failure.

💘⚡

“Sehun, what the fuck happened?"

Not another loud person ruining his day. Sehun groans, his utensils clang loudly against the plate. “Baekhyun, please, I’m not in the mood right now.” 

Baekhyun doesn't seem to care though. He whines, casually draping himself over Sehun’s shoulder. Sehun tries shoving him away and focuses on finishing his dinner, but Byun Baekhyun is like gum, always sticking around. “I’m not letting you go before you answer me.”

Sehun huffs dramatically, detaching Baekhyun’s arm off his shoulder and then turning his head towards his friend. “What?” 

Baekhyun rolls his eyes as if Sehun just asked the most obvious thing in the world. “Capture The Flag. I heard from Minseok and the other Aphrodite kids that you fucked up big time so our joint team lost.” 

One thing that Sehun dislikes about being a son of Aphrodite – his fellow cabinmates fucking loves to gossip. It’s fun to gossip, yes, but it’s not fun when he is the one being talked about. 

“Yeah, I know I messed up, so what?” 

“I heard that you faced Jongdae. He is one of my besties, so I want to know the details. Isn’t he cute?” Baekhyun tilts his head, wiggling his eyebrows, and flashes his shit-eating grin.

“If he’s your bestie, why are you asking me? Go ask him.” Sehun tries to dismiss him.

But it doesn’t work. “Nah, he just said you asked him to pass the flag over. I know you are still new here and you can be an idiot sometimes, but wew, I want to know what went on in your mind until you dared to face one of the Big Three kids – alone. By yourself.” Sehun is overwhelmed by Baekhyun's speedy talk but Baekhyun is not stopping there. “Their powers are beyond our league. You gotta think of other strategies than direct face-off, darling.” 

Sehun shrugs, deciding to let the cat out of the bag. “I thought I could Charmspeak him into passing the flag. It always worked before!” He grumbles.

Baekhyun’s eyes glimmer in mischief. “Oh, yeah, your Charmspeak. It’s very potent. Don’t use it on me again, ever.” 

“Yeah, yeah. But for some reason, he wasn’t affected.”

“WHATTT???” Sehun regrets sitting so close to Baekhyun because suddenly Baekhyun yells so loud, Sehun feels his eardrums are going to burst. “REALLY? YOUR –” 

Sehun immediately clamps Baekhyun’s mouth with his hand. “Can you fucking lower your voice, Baek?” 

Baekhyun gives him an apologetic look. “Sorry, but whoa.” He stares at Sehun in awe, then his eyes flit to Jongdae who happens to sit some tables away. His gaze switches to a mischievous look that, Sehun knows, won't bring anything good with it. And he's wary.

"Whatever it is in your mind, please don't do it," Sehun warns, shooting Baekhyun a stern glare. Baekhyun is a nice and fun guy, he's also a capable fighter, Sehun does enjoy being around him. But being a Hermes kid, Baekhyun is always full of pranks. Who knows what he is planning? Sehun hopes it doesn't include anything that will humiliate him. Better to get away for now. He stands up, taking his unfinished plate and heading towards the corner for the dirty plates. 

On his way, he steals another glance at Jongdae, who is now listening to that Hephaestus kid Chanyeol and another kid he forgets the name of, then laughing at whatever jokes they crack. It's hard to believe that Jongdae is really a son of Zeus. Unlike his rather asshole (please forgive the inner cussing) dad, Jongdae is helpful, friendly, humble, and even rather selfless. Sehun never had any problem with him but was never close to him either. 

But what makes Jongdae so special to be able to resist his Charmspeak? 

The Cabin Ten, Aphrodite’s cabin, is rather empty when Sehun returns. Many of the inhibitors are still outside either chattering or flirting with some other campers. He sees Jongin reading something on their shared bunk bed. This sibling of his is rather interesting. Aphrodite kids are rarely seen with books - if they read, it is usually fashion magazines or gossip tabloids. But Jongin reads books, proper ones. He is quite knowledgeable and wise too.

"Hey," Sehun calls, making Jongin look up from his book. 

"Hey." The reading glasses slide down Jongin's well-sculpted nose, but he quickly pushes it up with his finger. He puts aside his book and smiles back. "What's up? You seem down. Still upset about earlier?"

"Yeah," Sehun sighs. "I feel like a total fool now." He plops down on the bunk beside theirs. "Probably I overestimated mom's gift." 

"Oh, why?" 

If there are anyone Sehun trusts in this cabin, it's Jongin, because he isn’t into gossiping. He shares the details of what happened. "– I don't know why it doesn't work on Jongdae. It has always worked… until now." 

He feels Jongin's hand patting his shoulder, trying to cheer him up. "Don’t worry, let’s figure it out together.”

“Thanks.”

“What do you know so far about your gift?"

Sehun shrugs. “I usually just… you know, say it out? I talked to random people and somehow they just did things for me willingly. I didn’t realize I was using Charmspeak, I wasn’t even aware of it until I came to Camp Half-Blood.” 

Jongin ponders, deep in thought. “Let’s see... Was Jongdae on guard when you tried Charmspeak on him? I remember the first time you tried it on Minseok, he wasn’t aware and unprepared so it was so easy for him to fall.” 

“Yeah, he was,” Sehun nods, frowning. “Well, how could he not? We were in Capture The Flag and I was about to get the flag he guarded.” 

Right after he says it, a lightbulb lights up in his mind. Jongin snaps his fingers and turns to Sehun excitedly. “That’s it! Maybe it was because he was wary and very, very on guard, so you failed.”

“That does make sense,” Sehun agrees. 

“You want to try it on him again next time?” 

“Hell, what??”

Jongin giggles. “Don’t you think this is a good chance? You can see if it was a one-time thing or if he is really immune against any kinds of Charmspeak. It will be good practice for you, Sehunnie!” 

💘⚡

Sehun hates to admit it, but Jongin’s words got him interested. Or to be exact, made him feel challenged. 

He isn’t a morning person, but the curiosity (or is it excitement) gets him up earlier than usual. Time check, 5 AM. Maybe it’s a good time to surprise Jongdae on his way out of the cabin, and maybe, he can try Charmspeak-ing a startled Jongdae.

He slides down from his bunk bed and discreetly pushes the door open. The sky is still dark, the fog is still up in the air between the cabins, the air cooling to his skin. It’s quiet and peaceful, different from the usual chaos and noise when the campers are awake and active. Sehun is still very much sleepy, but he makes his way to Cabin One, the cabin of Zeus. 

Suddenly, something (or is it someone?) bumps into him in the courtyard. Bless his demigod reflexes, he manages to prevent himself from face planting to the ground. But it still hurts. Sehun grunts, “What the –” 

“Dear gods I’m so sorry–” 

Sehun hears a familiar, warm, and sweet voice. He blinks, readjusting his vision, and scans his surroundings. He finds a familiar pair of electric blue eyes staring back at him. 

“J-Jongdae?” Sehun gasps. “What are you doing here?” 

“Sehun, right?” Jongdae chuckles lightly. “Morning jog. What about you?” He asks back, his curly lips stretched wide, eyes shining with interest. Sehun briefly scans Jongdae from top to bottom. He is wearing shorts that show his knees and toned calves. His black t-shirt sticks to his body because of sweat, and his black hair matted to his forehead, sweat dripping down his face. Sehun doesn’t know if it is the light of the sun rising behind Jongdae, or is it his own sleepy mind making up things, but Jongdae seems to be… glowing. It takes his breath away, Sehun can’t find his words or voice. 

“Hmm, Sehun? Hello? Are you still there?” Jongdae steps in front of him, waving his small hand, breaking Sehun out of his mini-trance. 

“Uh-uhm, yes.” 

“Are you alright?” Jongdae’s smile morphs into concern. “You need anything…?” 

If Sehun wants to surprise him, he is totally busted already. He can’t think, he doesn’t know what to do next. So he does the only thing he can think of. “N-nevermind! Bye!” 

And Sehun dashes back to his cabin, hoping that none of his siblings knows he’s up, or worse, seeing what just happened. Unfortunately, Jongin is up by the time he returns to his bunk bed, rubbing his eyes. “Wow, Sehunnie. What makes you up this early?” 

Sehun doesn’t say anything and burrows himself into his pillows. What is this twist of fate? He was the one who wanted to catch Jongdae off-guard, but he is the one caught off-guard instead.

💘⚡

“You still haven’t answered me. What did you do in the morning?”

Sehun feels Jongin’s curious eyes on him. He clears his throat, trying to not sound too suspicious. “Uh, I’m trying to change my habit?” 

“Yeah, yeah, getting up early is good but, at 4 AM? Seriously, what are you doing? And you are disappearing often nowadays. You are getting more suspicious lately.” 

Sehun clamps his mouth. He can’t say that in the past few days he has been out camping at Cabin One in the hope to surprise a certain son of Zeus, right? And he can’t say that he has been following (not stalking, he swears) and paying more attention to Jongdae, right? 

Probably it was not his lucky day or maybe Jongin is just too perceptive. “Is it about Jongdae?”

Sehun can’t lie to Jongin, and he nods solemnly. To his surprise, Jongin doesn’t seem to judge, if anything, he looks amused. “So, how’s your progress so far?”

“Well… I learned something about Jongdae’s schedules.” Since they are from different cabins, their activities are different so they don’t really meet each other often outside meal times. Other than the usual Ancient Greek studies, Jongdae usually has an archery class on Monday, then sword fighting on Tuesday. On Wednesdays, he goes to the stables for riding training and helps Demeter kids taking care of the pegasi. The next day Jongdae would be helping to pick the strawberries in the morning and hanging out with Hephaestus kids at the camp forge in the afternoon. The sessions Sehun shares with Jongdae would be arts and crafts along with the Athena kids, and they are on Friday mornings before they play Capture the Flag in the afternoon. On the weekends, Jongdae would be out, either playing volleyball, playing by the beach, challenging the rock climbing wall (which pours out lava for an extra challenge by the way), or just chilling with his friends. 

“But how about the Charmspeak?”

Sehun shakes his head. “No luck so far.” He tried jumping in front of Jongdae in his cabin early in the morning, but the other was not even fazed. Jongdae just laughed and casually greeted “Good morning, Sehun” with his blinding smile, then went off for a morning jog. Next, Sehun tried to surprise Jongdae when he approached the stables for riding training. But instead of Jongdae, Sehun accidentally startled one of the pegasi until it escaped from the stables. Sehun had to run around catching the poor winged horse and trying to calm it down. Then during arts and crafts, Sehun tried Charmspeak-ing when Jongdae was focusing on his clay (which he sculpted to something that looked like a mini-me version of himself), but Jongdae only turned his head and asked, “Sorry, what?” as if Sehun never said anything. 

Sehun had to prevent himself from facepalming. It was failure after failure. What is this Jongdae and why is he so confusing?

💘⚡

And Sehun never thought it would be worse. 

“Why are we here?”

It’s summertime, the sun is shining happily, the weather is too warm for Sehun's comfort to stay outdoors. Yet Jongin and Minseok pull him outside, passing strawberry fields, near the forest. Sehun whines, “I don’t even wear my sunblock!”

“I thought we were going to have our emergency meeting!” Minseok chirps. He opens his waist bag and passes a sunblock to Sehun, “Here, princess, you won’t get tanned so fast anyway.”

“As for why we need to go out, this place is discreet enough since Jongdae doesn’t come here often,” Jongin adds.

Sehun nods grimly, but why should they go out when they can just discuss in the comfort of their cabin? The frown on Sehun’s face grows bigger the moment he sees a familiar figure with pink hair waving excitedly under the tree. 

“Why do you _have_ to involve _Baekhyun_?” Sehun groans. 

Minseok starts, “We heard about your little quest to find out why Jongdae is immune to your Charmspeak, and how you have been failing."

Feeling cheated that Jongin spilled his predicament, Sehun turns towards Jongin, who raises his hands in defeat. "Sorry, Sehunnie, Minseok has been concerned so…"

Sehun can only sigh. 

"There, there," Minseok pats both their backs, trying to lighten the mood. "Anyway, we just want to help you. Baekhyun is one of our best pranksters. He is literally _born_ for mischief. He can give us some good ideas.”

“I heard that! Leave it to me,” Baekhyun taps his chest proudly, his eyes glimmer with pride. Baekhyun is so excited, maybe even too excited about this whole ‘seeing if Jongdae is really immune to Charmspeak’ kinda-quest that it’s almost _scary_. “So, tell me what you have done so far.”

After listening to the retelling of Sehun’s failures and embarrassment for around fifteen minutes, Baekhyun rubs his chin deep in thought, and then his face lights up in enthusiasm. “Maybe, you should try a different approach instead.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean,” Baekhyun smirks, and Sehun gets a feeling that he should run away right there and then, “what if you try charming him instead?” 

Sehun is utterly confused now. “Charming? With magic? How? I’m not a son of Hecate –” 

Baekhyun groans, impatient as if he is explaining to a two-year-old. “Oh, dear... Think! I don’t mean charming as in magic or hexes, but charm, _charm_! Attract, flirt, seduce! Isn’t that your mother’s specialty?” 

Sehun can feel his jaw on the ground. “What the hell are you thinking about, Baek? Seducing Jongdae? You must be out of your mind.”

“Wait,” Minseok cuts in before Sehun manages to rant any further. “Baekhyun has a point. If surprising him doesn’t work, maybe yeah, you should try winning his heart instead. Maybe if you are closer to him, he trusts you more, and he may fall for your Charmspeak easier.” He looks at Baekhyun, then shakes his hand and pats his shoulder. “Thank you, cousin, glad that you’re not just a good-for-nothing jokester.” 

“Hey, don’t call me that!” Baekhyun frowns and tries to hit Minseok, but the other person already runs away. As Minseok and Baekhyun are busy chasing after each other in the strawberry fields, Sehun sits back, trying to process this whole seducing Jongdae thing. 

"So, what do you think?" Jongin asks softly. "We can give you suggestions but you are the one who should make the final decision. But don't worry, we will help you, should you decide to do it."

Sehun doesn't answer yet. He doesn't think this is a good idea, but he doesn't have a better idea.

"How is it? Have you decided?" Sehun looks up and finds Minseok coming back, followed by a whining Baekhyun who is rubbing his ears (maybe Minseok did catch him and gave him an earful earlier).

Seeing Sehun still conflicted, the expression on Baekhyun's face quickly changes to a snicker. "Don't tell me... you are scared."

"I-I'm not scared!!" Sehun yells immediately, trying to defend himself. Baekhyun’s smirk grows wider. He is definitely challenging Sehun.

Both of them have a point. Maybe he should give it a try. Sehun has made up his mind. "Fine, I'll do it." 

"That's the spirit," Jongin smiles. 

"Just watch, I will succeed."

💘⚡

Sehun believes he will succeed. His mother is the literal goddess of love, full of charm, and can make any guy fall for her. By right, it should be a piece of cake, right?

The day soon changes to night. Sehun initially thought he could approach Jongdae and had a little chat during free time. Apparently, the universe conspires to ruin Sehun's plan. When Sehun manages to find Jongdae among the other campers after dinner, the other is chilling with his little group of friends consisting of Chanyeol, a bespectacled boy, and a sleepy-looking boy who is playing the guitar to their little jamming session. If it’s only one person, he can Charmspeak them to go away, but three? It will be too suspicious. It’s not helping that Baekhyun (who said he would help) is currently with his Hermes siblings, Minseok and Jongin are nowhere to be seen. 

The morning after, there seems to be a little bit more hope. The queue for breakfast isn’t that long yet and Sehun spots Jongdae at the end of the line by himself. He is about to approach and queue behind Jongdae, but someone got there earlier. 

Thankfully, it’s someone he is familiar with. Sehun leans close to her ear and whispers, “Hey, Joy, let’s switch places.” Caught in his Charmspeak, his sibling nods and she willingly steps behind, giving space for Sehun.

“Good morning,” Sehun starts, flashing his most charming, fool-proof smile. 

Jongdae turns around and smiles back, equally blinding with the sun. “Morning, Sehun.”

Sehun decides to throw in a little bit more. "You look great." 

“Thanks,” Jongdae seems a little shy, fiddling with his fingers. Then he asks, “I didn’t see you early this morning though, did you wake up late?” 

Wait. Jongdae is... expecting him? After all of Sehun’s failed attempts at surprising him? Sehun coughs, trying to mask his embarrassment. “Uh.. yeah..” he rails off while messing the back of his head, trying to appear cool. “Why though?” 

“Ah,” Jongdae nods, “Since you're usually awake by that time and I always do my morning jog…"

"... so you want a company?" Sehun suggests, completing the sentence for him. 

"Mmm. It's kinda boring to jog alone ehehe," Jongdae giggles as he picks up the plates and utensils. 

"Thanks," Sehun replies. "I'd like that." It makes Sehun smile seeing pink color dusting Jongdae's cheeks when he passes one set to Sehun before taking another set for himself. It'll be a good chance for him to get to know Jongdae too. 

He feels great, bouncing in his steps. When he reaches the Aphrodite table, Jongin is giving him a curious look. "What happened so early this morning that makes you so happy, lover boy?" 

"Shut up, I'm not a lover boy," Sehun dodges, setting his plate on the table, and starts digging in. "But I may have some good progress." 

He proceeds to tell Jongin of the morning jog plan. Jongin lights up, "Oh yes, that does sound great. I will tell Baekhyun and Minseok, let us help set things up."

"Set what up?" Sehun quirks his eyebrow, not liking the way this conversation is heading. 

"Just leave it to us. What time will you guys start in the morning?"

💘⚡

Until it’s time for lights out in the cabin that night, Jongin still doesn’t want to tell him what he planned to do. Sehun is very wary. He keeps tossing and turning in his bed, and once he manages to sleep, he only has a few hours before the promised date, no, morning jog. 

When it’s time, he pushes himself off the bed and sleepily strolls to the bathroom to change. He also steals some moments to check himself out in the mirror. A few minutes later, he is glad to see his hair doesn’t look like a bird’s nest and looks alright, his eyebrows filled nicely, his lips not chapped and of course, sunblock applied. He is ready. 

Jongdae is doing some stretching by the time Sehun arrives in front of Cabin One. “Good morning,” Sehun greets, settling into his cool-guy persona. 

“Oh, hi Sehun,” Jongdae turns around and smiles back. 

Sehun can’t help his eyes from scanning the other from top to bottom. For some reason, Jongdae wears a fitting t-shirt today instead of the oversized one Sehun usually sees him wearing. But before Jongdae catches Sehun checking him out, Sehun stops himself. He is supposed to play the cool guy and charm Jongdae, not the other way around. He clears his throat, “So, where do we start? How’s the route?” 

“From here, then to the shore, passing the mess hall and coming back here. Is it okay? Too far?”

“I think I can manage.” 

As they pass the courtyard, the lines of trees, Sehun finds their pace isn’t too fast and they can still chat a little bit, getting to know each other a little bit more. He finds Jongdae has a competitive side to him too. When Sehun catches up to him (bless his longer legs), Jongdae sports a cute pout on his face and runs a little faster ahead. Thus a little race begins between them. The sun starts peeking by the time they pass the Mess Hall, shining on the beach shoreline and the glittering sea which he can see from the hill. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” 

Sehun turns around and what he sees takes his breath away. 

"Yes."

He has known that Jongdae has a radiant personality, but with the sun rising on him like a halo, Jongdae looks like an angel - radiating light. His skin is smooth, his eyes shining bright. And being so close to Jongdae like this, Sehun can see clearly the beauty marks dotting his eyebrows, temples, along his hairlines, and neck - it looks like constellations. His black hair sways to the morning breeze. With the sky behind them like a watercolor painting, the whole thing feels like a scene from a movie where he and Jongdae are the main leads.

Sehun has seen many good-looking and attractive people, especially since he is living among them in the Aphrodite cabin. However, Jongdae's beauty has him awestruck. It's not the typical classic, golden-ratio kind of beauty, it's not like those models in the magazines. But there is something magnetic that makes Sehun can't stop stealing glances, even as they take one round back towards the cabin. 

Until his leg got caught into something. 

Sehun tries to balance himself but unfortunately, gravity works against him. Thankfully he manages to position his body so he falls on the side and cushions his face from hitting the ground. 

“Sehun, are you okay?” Jongdae rushes over, concern is written all over his face. Sehun nods weakly and tries to get up. But his left ankle is pounding and he lets out a frustrated groan. 

"Why is there a rope here?" Jongdae muses, then he pushes aside the rope that most likely caused Sehun to trip earlier. He positions Sehun’s arm around his shoulder and his other arm supporting Sehun’s back, then he carefully lifts Sehun up. It catches Sehun by surprise how strong Jongdae is despite his deceptively small frame. 

Once they arrive at the infirmary, Jongdae gently sets Sehun down on one of the beds. “Please wait here,” Jongdae reassures him. Not long after, he comes back followed by the sleepy-looking boy Sehun saw the other night. 

“What’s wrong, Jongdae?” the boy asks, yawning.

“Yixing, I think Sehun sprained his ankle. Can you help?” 

The boy, Yixing, blinks his eyes and the next moment he is all up and alert, ready to help. “Sure.” 

Yixing checks on his foot then walk to the shelves and take a little jar. He puts on some ointment and mumbles something before bandaging his ankle. Then he offers Sehun a glass of something that looks like apple juice but when Sehun drinks it, it weirdly tastes like his favorite bubble tea. Like magic, he immediately feels much better afterward, warm and full of energy. "What's this?" 

"Nectar," Yixing answers easily. He takes the glass after Sehun finishes it. "How do you feel?" 

"Much better."

"Awesome," Yixing seems relieved, a smile along with a pair of dimples showing on his cheeks. "You can rest up a bit here. Breakfast will be ready soon, you won't want to miss that." 

Sehun nods. He finds Jongdae sitting next to his bed. "Thanks for helping me."

"No worries." Jongdae grins. "I'm just wondering why there was a rope across the path. It wasn't there yesterday. It can trip others." A flash of confusion appears on his face, but when he looks at Sehun again, it is gone. "I better keep it away so no one else trips. You good? Do you need anything? I can get it for you."

"Nah, it's alright."

When Jongdae leaves, Sehun's ears catch some familiar voices bickering and getting louder. He then sees Jongin and Baekhyun by the door.

"SEHUNNIE, I'M SO SORRY!!" Jongin yells while bowing deeply.

"Why are you sorry for, Jongin?" He looks at his two friends who both have apologetic and guilty expressions on their faces. 

Baekhyun starts, "I was the one who had the idea of the rope tripping thing. I thought, if Jongdae trips and you catch him… you know in the movies they always have this cliche scene where the guy catches the girl from falling and the girl starts developing feelings…" 

"So you thought it would work that way?" Sehun cuts in, feeling a bit irritated. 

"Yeah… but I pulled the rope at the wrong time… I'm sorry again!!" Jongin keeps apologizing. 

Sensing his sincerity and seeing Jongin's almost crying face, the anger inside of Sehun just defuses. "Stop saying sorry. I'm not dying." He chuckles, hoping to lighten the situation. "I appreciate you two's concern, but come on… let me know next time so I can be more prepared!"

"I thought you would notice the rope at least. But I guess you were too busy looking at something else," Baekhyun smirks, and Sehun immediately knows what the other is implying.

"Guys, please," he pleads. "No more tripping like this next time." 

💘⚡

Although the morning jog brings Sehun embarrassment when he remembers it, it helps him to be a little bit more positive in his attempt to charm the other. The most embarrassing and worst thing ever has already happened, Sehun has nothing to lose, right?

Sehun starts by greeting and smiling at Jongdae at any chance he can find, sometimes with the additional compliments – the usual tried-and-tested way of flirting. And Jongdae always greets him back with a warm smile and asks how he is doing, whether he is adjusting well to the camp and such. The way he treats and helps other campers is always so warm and kind, it amazes Sehun how someone can be so nice and helpful, too nice sometimes. 

He tries to sit near Jongdae during their only shared session, arts and crafts. Although both of them aren't very artistic (thanks to Athena and Apollo kids for putting the bar so high up), seeing Jongdae putting his all in everything puts a smile on Sehun's face and gives him the motivation to do well too. It's a delight to see Jongdae's shy smile blooming upon Sehun's compliment.

Not just Jongdae, Sehun soon integrates himself into his friend circle too. After dinner, Sehun joins Jongdae and his friends Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Yixing, and Kyungsoo, the bespectacled son of Demeter. Through their little banter, interaction, little trivia, and stories, Sehun learns a little more about each of them. Chanyeol enjoys teasing Jongdae to annoyance (about his height among other things) and Jongdae will then attack back by spilling about how Chanyeol is so clumsy that he once almost drops a hammer on Jongdae at the camp forge. Yixing has an interesting and very out of the box way of thinking while Kyungsoo mostly listens unless his friends have gone too wild. And the highlight, of course, is hearing the quintet jamming to various songs. Their vocals blend beautifully. But not even Yixing, with his musical gift from his father Apollo, can take Sehun's attention from Jongdae's mesmerizing voice. He won't say that in front of them, of course. 

Getting to know Jongdae's friends makes Sehun's camp experience a lot more fun. Now he has more people he knows aside from his Aphrodite siblings. Yixing helps teach him archery. Kyungsoo shares his knowledge about taking care of pegasi and riding (also slipped him tasty homemade cookies). Chanyeol shows him various kinds of his custom self-made weapons. 

They invite Sehun to play volleyball on the weekend. It's interesting to see Minseok, Baekhyun, and Jongin being competitive throwing the ball towards Chanyeol, Yixing, and Kyungsoo. Jongdae laughs at the unnecessarily intense game as he counts the next point, while Sehun spectates at the side, enjoying the view, in particular focusing on the son of Zeus. There is a glint of mischief in Baekhyun’s eyes and the next moment the ball almost hits Jongdae square in his head. But Jongdae manages to dodge and then chases after a giggling Baekhyun, and the game ends there right before dinnertime.

This summer is different from the ones he experienced so far, and Sehun is liking it. 

💘⚡

Friday comes and it’s time for Capture the Flag again. 

This time, Aphrodite cabin teams up with Hephaestus and Athena cabin, with Jongdae and some other demigods from minor gods tagging along. It fills Sehun with excitement because this time he finally fights alongside Jongdae and not against him. 

An Athena kid, Junmyeon, gathers them to strategize. Like previously, Jongdae is stationed near the flag since his power allows him for long-range attacks. Along with a ragtag team of Kun from Athena cabin and Jeno, son of Hephaestus, Sehun will be in the forest, ambushing the opponent. With his Charmspeak, Sehun forces the demigods passing their territory to turn back and return to their base, thus confusing the opposing team.

From between the trees, Sehun can see Jongdae holding the ground on his own. An Ares kid, who Sehun recognizes as Lucas, is steadily approaching with another Ares kid Minho. With his non-metal shield, Minho blocks the bolts of lightning Jongdae directs at them while Lucas advances forward. Pushed back, Jongdae draws his Celestial Bronze sword and tries to block the attacks as much as he can. 

They are getting nearer and nearer to the flagpole. Sehun notices he has to do something or else the other team will win, so he dashes out to the clearing and draws his sword, supporting Jongdae.

“Look behind you,” Sehun commands. Lucas turns around immediately, obviously affected by Charmspeak. The split second of distraction gives Sehun a chance to push Lucas back and lets Jongdae fight Minho one on one. 

Thankfully, the conch horn blows a few minutes later, signifying that their team has won. Minho grunts in annoyance, probably his competitiveness was getting the best of him, but then he calms down. He thanks them for the fun game and with Lucas, they head back to the other side. 

In a moment, the other campers on their team rush over to celebrate. Sehun doesn’t know who it was and whether it was intentional but someone pushes him from behind, sending him off-balance. He tries to balance but everything happens so fast and he falls over with a thud. The moment he opens his eyes, he sees a pair of electric blue eyes staring at him in shock. Sehun can see Jongdae’s long lashes framing his blue eyes up close, the sweat on his face, his curly lips gaping open, and the warm breath fanning across Sehun’s face. Sehun can feel the rise and fall of Jongdae's chest pressing against his (which is not squishy, it’s all muscles built from training). Jongdae feels so small underneath him, yet not fragile. 

Only then Sehun realizes their compromising position. It might give the others, especially Jongdae, the wrong idea. Panicked, Sehun quickly pushes himself off Jongdae and stands up before people around them notice. He offers his hand and pulls Jongdae up. “Sorry,” Sehun mumbles with his head lowered and turned to the other side, too embarrassed to see the other. It doesn’t help that his heart is pounding so loudly.

Jongdae doesn’t say anything. 

Dinners after Capture the Flag are always wild. Some Ares and Apollo kids are at it again, blaming each other for the loss. Thankfully, Jongdae and his friends are the same as usual when they gather near the fire. Yixing still has his guitar in hand. Chanyeol still has his stories, excitedly sharing how he tackled some Ares kids during Capture the Flag. Baekhyun still cracks jokes. Kyungsoo still doesn’t talk much, mostly listening and laughing when there is something funny. 

But something is definitely different. Whenever Sehun sees Jongdae, he can’t forget the blue of his eyes, the expression on his face when Sehun accidentally fell on him earlier. Heat creeps up his cheeks and he averts his eyes, trying not to glance at Jongdae too much.

And another thing… When Sehun happens to see Jongdae and Chanyeol shoving each other playfully, or when he sees Jongdae leaning on Chanyeol’s shoulder, there is a weird unpleasant knot in his stomach. 

At first, Sehun thought it was caused by something he ate during dinner. But the next day, and the days after, the feeling doesn’t go away every time he sees Jongdae cozying up with Chanyeol.

What is going on?

💘⚡

“What happened to you?”

“Huh?” Distracted, the arrow Sehun just let out misses the target. He whines and lets down his bow. “What are you doing, Jongin, I’m practicing my shoots at the moment.” 

“I notice you have been sulking since morning. What’s wrong?” 

Sehun appreciates the other’s concern, but he isn’t sure how to express what is in his heart. He can’t say that this morning he happens to see Jongdae and Chanyeol walking together towards the forge. Jongdae seems so happy and it makes Sehun feel sour. He wants to be the one to put that smile on Jongdae’s face. 

“Don’t you think Chanyeol has been awfully close to Jongdae?” Sehun starts, trying to be as nonchalant as he can. Knowing he can trust Jongin, he tells in a hushed voice about his observation of the two, purposely not saying how he feels about it all.

“Ah,” Jongin grins knowingly. “So you're jealous?”

“Me? Jealous? Shut up.” Sehun shrugs, taking another arrow from the quiver and loading his bow. He is about to raise his arms to position when Jongin asks, “How do you feel about it though? Are you sure you are being honest to yourself?” 

His question has him frozen in his movement. “I don’t know.” Sehun grunts, lowering his bow. He doesn’t want to admit it, but deep inside he starts to think that Jongin may be right. “I just… I don't like seeing them so close. I know it’s not right to feel this way. They are best friends. They are my friends.”

Jongin pats Sehun’s shoulder consolingly. “Just talk this out with Jongdae. Ask him out if you want to. Charm him. What’s stopping you? You got this, lover boy.”

“Stop calling me lover boy, Jongin.” 

Jongin doesn’t get angry over his tantrum though. Instead, he smiles warmly. “I’m rooting for you, Sehunnie! Just go for it and hit your target!”

“Fine, fine!” Sehun sighs, calming himself before he raises his arms to the position. He aims, takes a deep breath, and releases the string.

The arrow hits a bullseye.

Apparently, it’s not only Jongin who noticed that he has been acting differently. During dinner, Minseok and Baekhyun pull him aside. “You have not been yourself lately,” Minseok asks, worry is clear in his eyes. 

“I noticed you haven’t been talking to Jongdae too,” Baekhyun chimes in. “Is everything alright between you two? Did something happen that I don’t know about?” 

Sehun sulks again. “I want to talk to him, I need to, but I don’t know how.” 

“I don’t know what you need to talk about until you act all serious like this, but…” Baekhyun exchanges glance with Minseok, then nods with understanding, before turning to Sehun and assuring him. “Well, I can help make the time.”

💘⚡

Sehun has been deciding when to talk to Jongdae. Mealtime is too risky because there are so many campers, arts and crafts time isn’t that peaceful either. 

He sits by the fire, their usual spot for their little jamming session. Not long after, Jongdae waves and sits beside him. Sehun waits. Usually, the others will join shortly after, but today, there are only the two of them.

“Where are the rest?” Sehun asks curiously. 

Jongdae leans back against his propped arms behind him and answers casually. “There’s someone injured from a stray arrow, so Yixing has to tend to him. Baekhyun said he has some emergency with Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.” 

“Ah, I see.” So this is what Baekhyun means by making the time.

Sehun isn’t sure what to say next and Jongdae isn’t saying anything either, so there is an awkward silence between them. The only sound he can hear is the crackle of the fire in front of them and the indistinct chatter of the other campers. 

As they sit next to each other like this, Sehun can’t help but see how Jongdae seems a bit restless, and Sehun can’t stay still too. The tension building between them is so thick Sehun can cut it with a knife. 

Sehun can’t take it anymore. He can’t stand having this weird feeling. He needs closure. Maybe now is a good time to talk since there is no one else disturbing them.

"Hey, Jongdae."

"Hmm?" The other looks up, staring at him with his alluring blue eyes, as blue as the sky that makes Sehun get lost in his eyes before he snaps out of it. 

Sehun clears his throat, trying to compose himself. “Can I ask you something? A few things, actually.”

Jongdae seems a bit confused, but nods anyway. “Sure. Go ahead.”

“Uh… are you and Chanyeol... together?” 

Jongdae seems a bit baffled at his question. Then to Sehun’s surprise, Jongdae breaks into laughter and shakes his head. “No, no. Chanyeol is my best friend. We hang out often, yes. But no, we aren’t together. Why?”

Relief washes over Sehun, knowing Jongdae is single, and it gives him the confidence to take the next step. He looks at Jongdae in his eyes and blurts it out. “Do you like me?"

"Yes."

"Wait…" Jongdae’s answer is so direct and immediate, it catches Sehun by surprise. It is what he has always wanted, but it makes him suspicious. Did he accidentally use Charmspeak on Jongdae? Does it mean it works against him now? 

The smile on Jongdae’s face becomes wider, and his gaze is so soft. "You don't need to Charmspeak me, Sehun. I'm already charmed by you."

Sehun blinks, slowly taking in the information. "Really?" 

"Yeap." Jongdae nods shyly.

"Since when?" Sehun presses, totally curious now.

There is a pause, and Sehun can see how Jongdae’s cheeks and ears turn a shade redder. Jongdae mumbles, “Since the moment you arrived at the camp. You were so dazzling, so enchanting like a magnet. You still are, by the way. Many others are charmed by you too.” 

It reminds Sehun of the many flirtations and confessions he received in his first few days at the camp. Another question pops up in Sehun’s mind. "If you are interested, then why didn't you ask me out back then?” 

“I have seen you turning down confessions. You rejected so many people! So I thought you aren’t interested in anybody and have someone already.” 

“Hey, that’s not true,” Sehun rebutted. “I am open to relationships. But… Someone?” The gears in Sehun’s mind start turning. “You think I’m dating someone here?”

Jongdae tilts his head as if Sehun is asking the most obvious thing ever. “Aren’t you dating Jongin?”

“No!” Sehun shakes his head hard. “He is my friend and I’m close with him, but nah, Jongin is dating someone else. Not me.”

“I see.” Jongdae lets out a sigh of relief, his lips curling up in delight. 

Now that they have cleared some misunderstandings, Sehun has only one thing left to be asked. “I have always wondered about this one thing. My Charmspeak work on everyone I met so far in this camp… but why didn’t it work on you?"

There is a moment of silence before Jongdae lets out an awkward laugh. "Uh… I had to try really hard to block you." Jongdae averts his eyes, suddenly finding his fingernails very interesting. "You can be very… uh, persuasive. And I'm a mess when I'm around you. Doesn’t help that Baekhyun keeps teasing me too,” he whines, his lips pressed into a line. To Sehun he looks very cute. 

"Really? You don't look like it though?" In Sehun’s eyes, Jongdae is too calm, he doesn’t look like a mess at all.

"I'm used to not showing things." There's some weight to his words as if there is more to it. Sehun figures it must be something in Jongdae’s past, but he won't pry now. 

“You can show me, though. I don’t mind. I want to know you more, learn about you more.” 

“Are all Aphrodite kids like you? So good with wooing and swaying people’s hearts?” Jongdae asks so innocently, it makes Sehun laugh. 

“I don’t know, maybe?” This ability is literally in his blood, a gift from his mother to all her children respectively. Somehow, it just naturally comes out. 

Sehun shifts his position so he is facing Jongdae, placing his hand on the others’. “Now that we know that you and I are both available, can we try something out? Wanna go out with me?”

Jongdae looks up to meet Sehun’s eyes, his eyelashes fluttering demurely, his lips stretch to a pretty smile. He is so beautiful like this. 

“Yes, of course.” 

💘⚡

As promised, Sehun tries going out with Jongdae. One date turns into another, and another. It turns out that they are great together, no Charmspeak needed. 

Sehun feels his face heats up whenever Baekhyun and Minseok tease him and Jongdae. Especially when Sehun receives his camp necklace with a bead for his first summer in Camp Half-Blood. He touches the bead fondly. The bead design has a heart and thunder symbol on it, the same one as Jongdae’s.

To more summers with Jongdae, to more happy times with his love. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I love Percy Jackson and the Olympian series so this prompt attracted me immediately. To be honest, I had many ideas, (maybe they go for quests, crossover with the cast in the original series, and such) but due to lack of time, I can't write them all – had to change and simplify a few things. Not sure if I will write a continuation or a spin-off for this but I like this universe so maybe I'll revisit it. 
> 
> To the prompter, I know you wrote explicit as the max rating of this fic, but they are teens here so I don't think it's appropriate to have smut. I'm sorryyyy... I hope you still enjoy this though! 
> 
> I really had a blast writing this ehehe. I decide their godly parents based on their MAMA powers (Jongdae, Yixing, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo) and personality (for the rest). 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are appreciated~


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